Steam-turbine.



3141mm l'oz PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

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H. e. ROBINSON.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLIUATION FILED D30. 6, 1906.

PATENTED OUT 22. 1907.

H. G. ROBINSON. STEAM TURBINE. APPLIOATIOII FILED DEC. 5, 1906.

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No. 868,943. PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

' H. e. ROBINSON.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLIOATION FILED D110. 5, 1906.

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.No.868,9431 I PATENTED 0013.22, 1907.

' H. G. ROBINSON.

STEAM TURBINE.

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No.868,943. PATENTEDOGT. 2211907. H. e. ROBINSON.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1906.

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HALE G. ROBINSON, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO.

STE AM-TURBIN E Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application fil d December 5,1906. Serial No. 346,426.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HALE G. ROBINSON, acitizen oi the United States, and a resident of Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Steam-Turbine Governor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steam turbines and especially to the valve arrangement and construction,

mechanical means for operating the valves, the governor and connections between it and such mechanical means, and devices controlled by the governor for preventing damage in case of over-speeding.

Heretoiore it has been general practice to control the valves of steam turbines electrically or by fluid pressure or other non-positive means. In my inven tion I employ rotary balanced valves, and move said valves by positive mechanical means controlled by a single operating member. This operating member is connected with any suitable automatic governor, usually a centrifugal ball-governor, which gives a very close automatic regulation. In case of undue increase in the head of steam or drop in the load, or other cases Which tend to make the rotating part of the turbine move too fast or move the governor to the extreme of its regulating position the said governor automatically brings into operation mechanism which either closes a valve in the steam main or opens a valve which destroys the operative connection of the exhaust with the condenser, or both, and thus immediately relieves the dangerous conditions existing.

The characteristics and advantages of my invention are hereinafter more particularly described in connec tion with the accompanying drawing which illustrates exemplifying structures in which my invention is embodied and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a single turbine showing a valve and the valve operating mechanism; Fig. 2, a detail front view of the wrist plate; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section through the wrist plate and its mounting, showing the bearing therefor; Fig. 4, a side elevation of a double turbine adapted for marine purposes; Fig. 5, a section through one of the valves, showing the valve, stationary nozzle, steam passage, valve pocket, etc., also the crank arm and pitman for operating the valve; Fig. 6, a detail end view of valve stem and crank arm; Fig. 7, a front end elevation of Fig. 7. Fig. 8, a side elevation of a modified form of turbine and valve operating mechanism; and Fig. 9, an end view of the same.

Referring Inst to Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 designates the main jacket of a turbine containing the revolving plates, and in some styles of construction stationary reaction plates. The invention does not reconstruction. 2 is a circular casing or valve ring containing the valves, nozzles etc., bolted to casing 1.

Referring now to Fig. 5, 3 is a flange on the valve ring by means of which the ring is bolted to casing 1 by set screws 4; 5 is one of a series of pockets separated from each other; 6, the steam chest extending all the way round the ring and separated from pockets 5 by a wall 7; 8, a nozzle ring which may be made in two pieces and is set in the pockets 5 and has a flange 9 by which it is secured to the valve ring 2 by set screws 10; 11, nozzles, one or more of which is formed in nozzle ring 8 communicating with each steam pocket 5, the number of nozzles communicating with each pocket depending on the conditions of service for which the construction is designed; 13, a valve stem; 14, the valve proper, operatively integral with the stem, consisting of a hollow cylinder; '15, slots in the valve communicating with its bore for the admission of steam; 16, the valve sleeve screwed into the valve ring at 17 and into the wall 7 by means of a squared portion 18; this valve sleeve is centrally bored to communicate with the steam pocket 5 and counterbored to seat the valve, and has slots 19 to register with those in the valve when the valve is open. 20 is a flange on the valve stem, resting against a shoulder in sleeve 19; 21, packing surrounding the stem within the sleeve; 22, a cap entering the sleeve and engaging the packing; 23, a split nut engaging the cap and also a screw-thread 23 on the valve sleeve and having locking means such as nuts 24 whereby the nut may be locked in position when it is adjusted to set up the packing; 25, a crank arm secured to a taper on the end of the valve stem by nut 26; 27, a pitman pivotally secured to the end of crank arm 25 by a stud 28.

It is to be understood that there is a plurality of valves, each of the construction described, the number depending upon the requirement of the service to which the turbine is to be put. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 5, the valve is open and the slots 15 and 19 in the valve and valve sleeve are in register, admitting steam from the chest 6 through the slots and bore of the valve into steam pocket 5, where it passes through one or more nozzles 11 to the buckets. The valve is partially or entirely closed by revolving it so that slots 15 and 19 are more or less out of register and this is done by means of pitman 27 acting on crank arm 25. It is to be noted that steam pressure acts on the valve from two opposite points and that, therefore, the pressure is entirely balanced and the valve moves with great freedom.

Now refer to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 8: 30 is a wrist plate which has a sleeve 31, conveniently mounted by means of anti-friction rollers 32 on a stationary sleeve 33 carried by the main casing surrounding the shaft. Each of the links 27 is connected at its inner end to the wrist plate by a pivotal stud 3 1-. Now, as best seen in Fig. 8, if the Wrist plate is rotated the valves are simultaneously operated so as to close or open, depending upon the direction of motion, in a uniform manner. The wrist plate is moved with comparatively slight effort because 0 its anti-friction mounting and because of the fact that each of the valves is balanced and creates but a moderate resistance. It will be noted that by this construction the movement of the valves is positive and that they move absolutely in unison when they are adjusted for such movement.

In some cases, as for instance in marine engines, the

valves are preferably adjusted so as to open and close' equally; but in other applications such as for impellii 1g dynamos certain valves may be made to open more or less in advance of the others so as to compensate for the varying load in a most efficient manner. Supposing the valves to be arranged in series of three each. they may be made to open in proper sequence by making the slots 19 in the valve sleeves considerably wider than the slots in the valves and adjusting the sleeves at different angles to radial lines drawn from the center of the shaft through the valve centers. The connections between the valve stems and the wrist plate are made as usual, and in moving the wrist plate obviously first the slots in one valve will come opposite the slot in its sleeve, then the next valve slot will come in line While the first is still in line owing to the width of the slot in the sleeve, and then the third. Reverse movement of the wrist; plate will close the valves in reverse sequence. This successive action of the valves may also be effected by the adjustment in the pitmcn 27 of cranks 25.

Fig. 1 shows the valve arrangement and operating, mechanism described, adapted to a single turbine.

In Fig. 4; a marine turbine is shown in which one of the machines, for instance, 1" is the forward turbine, and the other, 1, is the backing or astern turbine. The nozzles and buckets in the two turbines are oppositely arranged, this being the only difference in construction necessary except as it may be desired to make one 'of the turbines of different dimensions from the other. The wrist plate 30 is connected to the valves of both turbines in a manner obvious from the drawing and it is intended to rotate the wrist plate by means of a throttle lever moving over the notched segment and connected to the plate by a link. The admisssion of steam to the forward or astern engine is regulated by a three-way valve of any suitable construction located at 35 in the branch of the steam main leading to the two machines and controlled by hand-wheel 30. With steam admitted to either of the engines and cut off from the other it is evident that movement of the wrist plate will regulate the amount of steam admitted and, there fore, the speed of the engines, the valves of the other turbine meantime moving idly.

Referring, now, to Fig. 8, 40 is the general designation of a governor; 4-1, the hollow governor spindle journaled in the bracket 42; 43, a bevel gear on the spindle; 44, a pinion meshing with gear 43 and carried on a shaft 45 carried in a bearing sleeve 46 on the casing; 4. 7, a pinion on the main shaft of the turbine; 48, a train of reduction gears intermediate pinion 47 and shaft 45 by which the governor is impelled at a speed considerably less than that of the main shaft; 49, adjustable nuts seseas which serve to regulate the tension of the spring 50; it the movable cross-head of the governor nornmlly held down by spring 50 bearing against the adjustable nut 49.

When the turbine is in motion the. governor exercises a regulating effect in an obvious manner by moving the wrist plate 30 to right or left according as the speed of the shaft increases or slackens under varying steam pre sure or load. if conditions are such that the cross-head of the governor rises to approximately the upper limit of its travel (this condition imlicating an unsafe condition of load or speed of the governor) the collar on the cross head comes in contact with hook 7t) and raises latch 76, releasing the latch from contact with bolts so and 75. llolt 5?) then moves to the left. as seen in Fig. 7, under influence of its spring and through link 2 and arm (it) closes the butterfly valve and shirts off steam. At the same time bolt is similarly released and moves to the left under influmico of its spring and through link 7 f-and bell-crank 72; valve stem (38 is moved down. opening a passage for the exhaust directly into the atmosphere and destroying the suction of the condenser. in this manner all impulse of the rotating member is instantly discontinued when the conditions of work ap preach the danger point. The valve and vacuum breaker are reset after normal conditions have. been re stored by raising the stem of the vacuum breaking valve, whereupon its bolt 75 is reengaged b v latch 7t andby moving arm (33 of the but terfly val ve to the right. as seen in. Fig. 7, whereupon its bolt 59 is rccngaged b v the latch and the parts are again in normal posi lion.

It is to be understood that: the mechanism shown is merely an exemplification of the invention, and that l contemplate any variations therein which do not depart from the spirit of my invention.

In Figs. l0 and l l I show .my valve operating flit-(llanism applied to a turbincof the radial flow type. The valves are of the same construction as described. but the wrist plate A is mounted in suitable beari ngs on the circumference of the casing ll and is connected with th valves bylinks G and bull-and-socket joint D. thcr details of this construction, it is thought, will be undel stood without further description.

I claim:

1. In a steam turbine, the combination of a main cus ing carrying it rotor and stator. a circular vnlve ring se cured to the casing having :1 continuous steam passage around the circle. a plurality of nozzle chambers. each communicnting with the steam passage through :1 valve. and nozzle blocks. ouch having one or more nozzles. in sorted in the nozzle chambers from the inside of the ring. the blocks having flanges bolted to the ring so :is to pro sent a flush inner surface engaging the main casing.

2. in :i steam turbine. the combination of 21 valve ring having an outer wall and an interior wall inclosing a steam p: *c. :1 vnlve sleeve having on inner end screwed into the interior wall and enlarged near the outer end where it is screwed into the outer wall and lmvino :i connfecbore. :l tubular vnlve rotatably mounted in tho coimt'cr-bore, a solid stem connected with the valve. a flange on the valve resting against a shoulder formed by :1 second counter-bore in the outer end of the sleeve, packing about. the valve stem within the second count'ewbore. and means for compressing the packing comprising a. split nut engaging a screw-fln'cml on the outer end of the sleeve.

1;. In :1 steam turbine. the combination of a valve ring having an outer wall and an interior wall inelosing :l steam passage, :1 valve sleeve having an inner end screwed into the interior wall and enlarged near the outer end where it is screwed into the outer wall and having :I

ltltl counter-bore, a tubular valve rotatably mounted in the counter-bore, a solid stem connected with the valve, a flange on the valve resting against a shoulder formed by a second counter-bore in the outer end of the sleeve, a metallic ring resting against the flange, packing about the valve stem within the second counter-bore, a packing compressor on the valve stem engaging the packing and having a flange, and a split nut engaging a screw-thread on the outer end of the sleeve and engaging the flange on the compressor.

4. The combination of two steam turbines constructed to run in opposite directions, a plurality of rotary valves in each turbine, a rotary valve-operating member, positive mechanical connections between the member and the valves 01' each turbine, and a three-way main valve controlling supply of steam to the turbines.

5. The combination of two axial-flow turbines constructed to run in opposite directions and having a common shaft, each comprising a main casing, a valve ring se cured to the side of the casing adjacent to the other turbine and having a continuous steam passage, a plurality of valves in each valve ring controlling the supply of steam to the nozzles, a valve stem for each valve, an arm on each stem, a valve-operating disk revolubly mounted between the turbines, and links, one connecting each valvearm with the disk.

6. The combination of two axial-flow turbines constructed to run in opposite directions and having a common shaft and each comprising a main casing, a valve ring secured to the side of the casing adjacent to the other turbine and having a continuous steam passage, a plurality of valves in each valve ring controlling the supply of steam to the nozzles, a valve stem for each valve, an arm on each stem, a valve-operating disk revolubly mounted between the turbines, links, one connecting each valvearm with the disk, and a three-way valve controlling supply of steam to the turbines.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HALE G. ROBINSON.

Witnesses v H. J. BRnLs'rnIN, .Tosnrn l unnnn. 

